Explorer Academy Series

Adventure, danger, and a thrilling global mission await 12-year-old Cruz Coronado as he joins an elite school for explorers. Cruz leaves his tranquil home in Hawaii to join 23 talented kids from around the globe to train at the Explorer Academy with the world's leading scientists to become the next generation of great explorers. But for Cruz, there's more at stake. No sooner has he arrived at the Academy than he discovers that his family has a mysterious past with the organization that could jeopardize his future. In the midst of codebreaking and cool classes, new friends and augmented reality expeditions, Cruz must tackle the biggest question of all: Who is out to get him, and why? Readers can get in on the excitement with puzzles and codes embedded throughout.

It's an adventure of a lifetime when Cruz Coronado sets sail for the shores of Iceland and Norway aboard the Explorer Academy ship to continue his studies at sea. But, things take a turn while exploring the icy north, when he embarks on a dangerous mission to uncover the first piece of an important puzzle his mother left behind. In the exciting follow-up to The Nebula Secret in the 7-book Explorer Academy series, Cruz, Sailor, and Emmett, along with their new ally Bryndis, embark on their first globe-trotting mission aboard the ship Orion. Cruz jumps right back into school and starts using the latest technology in submersible underwater dives, but is soon reminded of the dangers of exploration when his equipment fails and he almost drowns. Determined to keep his eyes on the prize, Cruz sneaks away to try to find answers, but unknowingly lures his friends into bigger trouble. When a friend of Cruz's mom meets an untimely end, Cruz's luck really seems about to run out and the questions multiply. What does the message mean? Where will it lead? Who is following him? And why? This captivating book is the sequel every Explorer Academy fan is waiting to read!

LUSH JUNGLES AND SWEEPING SAVANNAS, HOME TO ELUSIVE MOUNTAIN GORILLAS AND FIERCE BIG CATS. Unforgiving, endless deserts that may be hiding more than meets the eye. An adventurer’s dream come true for the students aboard the Explorer Academy ship Orion. But no sooner do they arrive than danger strikes again, and this time, one of Cruz’s closest friends becomes the unintended victim. In The Star Dunes, the nail-biting fourth book in the Explorer Academy series, Cruz and his fellow recruits tackle challenging missions to dispense life-saving medication to gorillas, thwart pangolin poachers, and capture images of the last known cheetahs in Namibia—all the while discovering that protecting the world’s threatened species is a dangerous business. Things turn deadly for Lani, Sailor, Emmett, and Cruz as they search for the fourth piece of Cruz’s mom’s cipher. Cruz knows it’s not going to be easy, but will an unexpected guest bring a disastrous end to the search? After all, in this global game of cat and mouse, one mistake may cost you the ultimate price.

The mystery deepens and the action intensifies for 12-year-old Cruz Coronado and friends in the exciting third book in the Explorer Academy series. The adventure continues for Cruz, Emmett, Sailor, and Bryndis as they continue their studies at sea and travel to exotic locations around the world. A mysterious person alerts Cruz to impending danger while he and a few trusted pals explore ancient ruins in Petra, Jordan, and search for another piece of the puzzle his mother left behind. Worst of all, now his father has gone missing, which prompts Aunt Marisol, his number one protector, to leave the ship in search of him. Who is the new professor who takes her place? How does the new technology he introduces help or hurt Cruz's quest? Why is Nebula determined to stop Cruz before he turns 13? The clock is ticking as his first teen birthday draws near ... a milestone that will change his life forever, one way or another.

Built into the sheer side of a mountain near Paro, Bhutan, is one of the most sacred sites in the world. With its scenic views, colorful prayer flags, and incredible temples, an ancient Himalayan monastery has for centuries been the ultimate destination for tourists and adventure seekers, historians and searchers. But for Cruz Coronado, what lies at the top is a much bigger mystery. In The Tiger’s Nest, the exhilarating fifth book in the Explorer Academy series, Cruz, Lani, Sailor, Emmett, and Bryndis cross the globe in search of the next clues in the journey to uncover Cruz’s mom’s secret formula. This time the adventure takes them to secret chambers hidden below some of the most famous spots in the world, and the explorers discover that their onboard CAVE isn’t the only place the Academy has utilized high-tech security. When Cruz plays right into Nebula’s hands and finds himself cornered with no way out, a new hero emerges to save the day. But this time, fortune may not favor the bold. By the time all is said and done, Cruz’s life will never be the same, and he alone must face what comes next.

The dense, steamy rainforests of Northern Borneo are some of the oldest and most magical in the world. Under the shade of the towering tree canopies, majestic elephants and orangutans roam. However, Cruz Coronado is more focused on a tiny leech with a surprisingly painful, slow-healing bite. As he inches closer and closer, he wonders if what he discovered at the top secret Archive is true. … In The Dragon’s Blood, the thrilling sixth installment in the Explorer Academy series, Cruz is still reeling from an explosive revelation. But with Emmett, Sailor, and Lani by his side, he’s more determined than ever to track down the next-tolast piece of his mother’s cipher. Nebula is close on their heels, though, and the global hunt for the world-changing serum is riskier than ever. The daring explorers follow clues to an emperor’s tomb, and their studies take them to a rugged island in search of a mysterious animal once thought to be extinct. Just as Cruz feels hopeful about the survival of a species—and his own survival—a voice threatens to make sure his mission hits a dead end.

The frigid swells off the coast of Antarctica buffer Team Cousteau’s kayaks as they weave through the icy water. They’re losing daylight, and at risk of failing their fieldwork assignment. But Cruz Coronado’s thoughts are elsewhere. Nebula is closing in, and time is running out. The evasive explorer spy is still out there. And in his gut, Cruz knows his final mission will have deadly consequences. In The Forbidden Island, the electrifying seventh and final book in the Explorer Academy series, Cruz wonders if fortune really does favor the brave. After all, his mother’s hologram rejected the latest piece of the cipher, grinding his progress to a dismal halt. On top of that, terrifying truths keep bubbling to the surface. But in a journey that has taken him to all seven continents, Cruz isn’t ready to give up, and neither are his closest friends, Lani, Emmett, and Sailor. In fact, Cruz is prepared to risk everything he loves to recover the cell-regeneration formula and continue his mother’s legacy. As Cruz follows his path to the most otherworldly destination yet, a final showdown erupts when a familiar face appears, changing his life forever.